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Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje*, Macedonia, on August

26**, 11!" #er $a%i&' was o$ A&banian descent" At the age o$ twe&(e, she $e&t strong&'

the ca&& o$ God" She knew she had to be a %issionar' to spread the &o(e o$ )hrist" At the

age o$ eighteen she &e$t her parenta& ho%e in Skopje and joined the Sisters o$ oreto, an

+rish co%%unit' o$ nuns with %issions in +ndia" A$ter a $ew %onths training in -ub&in

she was sent to +ndia, where on Ma' 2., 1/1, she took her initia& (ows as a nun" 0ro%

1/1 to 1. Mother Teresa taught at St" Mar's #igh Schoo& in )a&cutta, but the

su$$ering and po(ert' she g&i%psed outside the con(ent wa&&s %ade such a deep

i%pression on her that in 1. she recei(ed per%ission $ro% her superiors to &ea(e the

con(ent schoo& and de(ote herse&$ to working a%ong the poorest o$ the poor in the s&u%s

o$ )a&cutta" A&though she had no $unds, she depended on -i(ine ro(idence, and started

an open3air schoo& $or s&u% chi&dren" Soon she was joined b' (o&untar' he&pers, and

$inancia& support was a&so $orthco%ing" This %ade it possib&e $or her to extend the scope

o$ her work"

4n 4ctober 5, 1!, Mother Teresa recei(ed per%ission $ro% the #o&' See to start her

own order, 7The Missionaries o$ )harit'7, whose pri%ar' task was to &o(e and care $or

those persons nobod' was prepared to &ook a$ter" +n 16 the Societ' beca%e an

+nternationa& 8e&igious 0a%i&' b' a decree o$ ope au& 9+"

Toda' the order co%prises Acti(e and )onte%p&ati(e branches o$ Sisters and Brothers in

%an' countries" +n 16/ both the )onte%p&ati(e branch o$ the Sisters and the Acti(e

branch o$ the Brothers was $ounded" +n 15 the )onte%p&ati(e branch o$ the Brothers

was added, and in 1. the riest branch was estab&ished"

The Societ' o$ Missionaries has spread a&& o(er the wor&d, inc&uding the $or%er So(iet

:nion and ;astern ;uropean countries" The' pro(ide e$$ecti(e he&p to the poorest o$ the

poor in a nu%ber o$ countries in Asia, A$rica, and atin A%erica, and the' undertake

re&ie$ work in the wake o$ natura& catastrophes such as $&oods, epide%ics, and $a%ine, and

$or re$ugees" The order a&so has houses in

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The Missionaries o$ )harit' throughout the wor&d are aided and assisted b' )o3=orkers

who beca%e an o$$icia& +nternationa& Association on March 2, 16" B' the 1!s there

were o(er one %i&&ion )o3=orkers in %ore than .! countries" A&ong with the )o3

=orkers, the &a' Missionaries o$ )harit' tr' to $o&&ow Mother Teresas spirit and charis%

in their $a%i&ies"

Mother Teresas work has been recognised and acc&ai%ed throughout the wor&d and she

has recei(ed a nu%ber o$ awards and distinctions, inc&uding the ope >ohn ??+++ eace

ri@e 151 and the